


Can We Talk?

by veranda



Category: TOLKIEN J. R. R. - Works & Related Fandoms, The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Friends to Lovers, Lovers to Friends, M/M, Makeup Sex, commitment issues, some life in between
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-13
Updated: 2017-03-02
Packaged: 2018-09-23 22:24:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,256
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9682868
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/veranda/pseuds/veranda
Summary: Erestor and Glorfindel are casual lovers.  Erestor wants more, but Glorfindel does not want to be tied down.He's kind of an idiot.





	1. Chapter 1

"Can we talk?"  Erestor asked.

Glorfindel could only murmur a reply, since his mouth was occupied with kissing every inch of Erestor's neck.  Erestor pushed his head back and looked down into Glorfindel's face.

"Would it be alright if we talked?  About this?"  He gestured between them.

Glorfindel pulled Erestor more snugly into his lap and leaned up for another kiss.  When Erestor turned his face, he went for his neck again, but a hand pressed over his lips.  Glorfindel grasped that hand and kissed it from palm to wrist. "Talk later, fuck first," he mumbled.

"I've been thinking, and since you have been gone for several weeks-"

"Exactly."  He slid both hands into Erestor's unlaced breeches. One hand massaged a buttock while the other attempted to penetrate the opening between. "I need this, right now."

Erestor jumped and started tugging at the invading hand.  "I know it's terrible of me to bring it up now, but really you did not give me a chance to say anything other than hello."

Glorfindel leaned his head on the back of the sofa and blew out some air.  He did not want to talk, at all.  He wanted to move to the bed and screw Erestor into the next age.  "Hey, how about you top first, yeah?  Any way you want, I don't care as long as at the end of it, I get my turn to come in you so deep, you can taste it."

Erestor looked at him for a moment with calculating brown eyes, then nodded slightly.  Glorfindel wasted no time hauling his prize into bed.

Of all the lovers Glorfindel had known, Erestor was his favorite, which surprised no one more than himself, since he hated political advisors.  Despised them.  His pet theory was that these advisors were born with an inherent hatred of nature.  They wanted nothing more than to clear the forests, one tree at a time, under the guise of needing more and more parchment.  They then justified their creation of all that paper by writing and rewriting voluminous, dusty tomes, cataloguing every detail of their mundane lives, and - their most unforgivable crime - forcing those around them to do the same.  For every wise and powerful elf, there was a horde of these advisors, whispering things into their ears along the lines of 'over budget' and 'undisciplined soldiers wreaking havoc', demanding correction and then a _report_ detailing said correction to be filed away Valar-knows-where.  Furthermore, they were wily.  Extremely gifted in double talk, they would convince one of their unwavering friendship and loyalty one minute, then bring the entire council against said person in the next.  They were the same everywhere - Valinor, Nevrast, Gondolin, Lindon, and now, Imladris.  He had known of Erestor in Lindon, but not only was Erestor one of these two-faced, tree-fearing advisors, he was Elrond's _chief_ advisor, which meant he was the serpent who hissed the loudest. Glorfindel steered well clear of him.

Additionally, as elves go, Erestor was on the plain side.  Not repulsive, still pleasing to the eye, just not someone who made one look twice.  Glorfindel was not overly superficial, rather he had determined all this at his first official council meeting in Imladris.  Bored to near tears, he had amused himself by studying, then ranking the elves present from most to least fuckable.  The top five were:

1) Elrond  
2) Naraion  
3) Gildor  
4) Saelbeth  
5) Erestor

At his second council meeting, Celebrian had sat in.  She easily tied Elrond for the top spot, which would have bumped Erestor out of the top five, but Saelbeth had chosen to don the most garish robes Glorfindel had seen to date.  It made him difficult to even look at, so Erestor held on to number five while Saelbeth hovered around eight.

About an hour and a half into this meeting, Naraion, the head archivist, was droning on about the inconsistent texture of their most recent batch of ink or some such irrelevant nonsense.  Glorfindel staved off slumber by imagining all the positions he would like to put Naraion in, most fantasies using his mouth for something other than speaking.  Abruptly, Erestor's voice cut through his daydreams.  He could not have said more than two sentences, but it was so savage Elrond physically flinched and Naraion looked as though he might weep.  A few others came to his defense, but were silenced just as quickly.  Ever a fan of bloodsport, Glorfindel sat straighter and eagerly looked around to see who might be the next to speak, but Elrond chose to adjourn the meeting instead.

From then on, Glorfindel paid rapt attention to Erestor.  He found that he did not address the entire council often, preferring instead to speak quietly to Elrond.  There appeared to be a few elves that Erestor had little patience for, like Naraion, but for the most part he was polite.  It was when he seemed tired, when the line between his eyebrows was more pronounced, that the claws came out.  It was thrilling to watch.  Glorfindel loved it so much he started manufacturing issues and conflicts that he knew triggered Erestor.  It took time and many a discreet inquiry to nail down Erestor's idiosyncrasies, costing him a bit of coin here and there, but it was well worth it.  Glorfindel could not remember when he had last looked forward to council meetings as much as he did now.

Unfortunately, Erestor was not chief advisor for nothing, and Glorfindel's fun came to an end.  As that day's meeting wrapped up, Erestor looked him dead in the eye.

"Captain, if I could have a word with you, privately?"   

He nodded mutely, accepting the sympathetic glances of other elves as they filed out.  When they were alone, Erestor spoke again.

"What will it take for you to cease your manipulations?"

"I'm afraid I don't know what you mean."

Erestor cocked his head.  "Ah, but you do.  What will it take?  I will not repeat myself a third time."  An unspoken threat hung in the air, and Glorfindel was filled with masochistic excitement.

"It will take...sex," Glorfindel challenged.  He braced himself - it would not be the first time he sampled Erestor's ire but he never entered a knife fight expecting not to bleed. 

"Fine, my room or yours?"

Shocked, it took Glorfindel a full minute to recover.  Then he laughed.  If Erestor's response was to call Glorfindel's bluff, then he would double down and call Erestor's. Besides, Erestor _was_ in his top five.

"Your room.  Lead on, good sir, lead on."

That was eight months ago.  And now, Erestor wanted 'to talk'. Glorfindel sighed, then exited his washroom and handed Erestor a damp cloth before laying back down in his bed.

"You wanted to talk?  About what?"

Erestor efficiently cleaned himself, then deposited the washcloth in the laundry bin. "About us.  About what we could expect of one another." 

Valar, not Erestor, too.  For both of Glorfindel's lives, men and women alike were constantly trying to pin him down into some form of commitment.  Marriage, children, title, money - whatever they were after, could they not understand?  Glorfindel did not do _domestic_.  He enjoyed a good romp - who didn't? - but he was not in it for the happily ever after.

He shrugged.  "I thought we could expect to enjoy each other's company."

There was an awkward silence, where Glorfindel could tell Erestor wanted him to say something else.  He was tempted to lie, as he selfishly wanted to keep sleeping with Erestor for as long as possible, but he knew Erestor could smell lies.

It was Erestor's turn to sigh.  "I suppose the rumors about you are true, then.  If a casual dalliance is all you are willing to give, then I thank you for your time."  He started dressing. 

Glorfindel sat up.  "Erestor, come now, do you really need more than this? I'm not sleeping with anyone else if that is what you're worried about."

"I was not worried about it before, but please feel free to from now on." 

"Don't leave, not like this.  We're good together, are we not?  How about we give it more time, see where it leads us."  Not a complete lie, but it sounded like a good compromise to Glorfindel.

Erestor hesitated.  "Are you offering something more?  Or just the same as we have been?"

"Uhhhh..."

At that, Erestor left Glorfindel's room.

 _Damn_.

\---

Erestor held his head high as he walked back to his room.  Glorfindel felt as he suspected, but he had no regrets.  He greeted other elves with a nod and a smile, even a pleasantry or two.  Once he entered his own chambers, he locked the door and sat on his bed.  There, in the privacy of his own space, he cried.

Erestor was no stranger to relationships, but his last serious one had imploded spectacularly, leaving him wary to enter another one.  While Glorfindel was on his latest extended patrol, however, Erestor found himself missing him.  He had somehow begun to crave his presence, the sound of his voice, the feel of his body.  It was dangerous ground to be on, but he found himself treading it all the same. 

For the last few months, he had become increasingly dissatisfied with his interactions with Glorfindel.  He wanted to sit together in the dining hall, or perhaps have a drink by the fire or a take a stroll in the evenings.  Not much more than what they did now.  Instead, they continued meeting in the middle of the night or under some pretense such as 'weapons inventory'.  What he had assumed was prudence - given the vicious gossip mill in Imladris - he now realized was indifference, and that hurt.

He wiped his eyes, rinsed off his face, then got ready to return to work. He had allowed himself a moment of frustration and disappointment, and it was time to move on.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had hoped to finish this (as a one shot) in time for Valentine's Day, but it's a bit longer than I had originally thought...


	2. Chapter 2

Glorfindel gave it a couple of months before he approached Erestor again.  He had found it best to give people time to process the end of an affair, no matter who had chosen to walk away.  Although he doubted Erestor wasted much time thinking about it, he did notice a coolness in his demeanor toward him, and definitely a lack of smiles.

Standing outside Erestor's office, he shifted the item he was carrying into one arm and knocked.  He did not bother waiting for a reply before opening the door.

Erestor looked up from his desk.  "Captain," he said drily, "how can I assist you?"

"Can we drop the formality between us?  I come bearing a gift, in hope that we can start our friendship anew."  He presented Erestor with a potted red poppy.  "I do remember you saying that these were your favorite at some point, so I thought you might like one for your office."

A surprised expression graced Erestor's face before he wrangled it back into one of neutrality.  "Oh, ah, thank you.  That is very considerate."  He took the pot and placed it on his desk.  "I suppose I should apologize if I have been rude to you.  You have not been untruthful or knowingly malicious, and I appreciate it.  And you have been a, um, needed addition to Imladris.  Welcome."

Glorfindel smiled.  "Well, don't use up all your compliments in one go.  I, too, apologize if I misled you as to my intentions, and perhaps should have waited until I had resided here a bit longer before propositioning you."

"Or maybe not - never mind.  You are right, let's start over."  He sat back down and smiled at Glorfindel.  "Please, sit.  Are there any concerns you have?  I know things are slightly different here than in Lindon, so I'm happy to address any questions you may have."

"No, things are good so far.  I'd love to stay and chat but I do have to go else I'll be late for advanced weapons training; it took me a little longer to find that flower than I had anticipated."

"Yes, I was going to ask - however did you find a red one?  We have many other colors scattered around the grounds - white, orange, yellow...hold on.  Did you by chance dig this up from my garden?"

"You have a garden?"  Glorfindel was confused, but a small feeling of unease started to form in his stomach.  "It wouldn't be in the southwest corner of the smaller courtyard, would it?"

Now Erestor looked annoyed.  "YES.  The southwest corner of that courtyard, _directly outside of my chamber window,_ is mygarden."

"Ohhh... _that's_ how I knew you liked the red ones.  Sorry?  I can put it back?"

"Oh for - just leave.  I'll take care of it."

Glorfindel shrugged and mouthed 'sorry' one last time before leaving the office.  Erestor sat quietly for ten minutes then burst out laughing.  He decided his garden could manage with one less plant, and set his new pot on the windowsill.

\---

Although extremely unwilling at first, Erestor did find it easy to be Glorfindel's friend.  He was garrulous and funny, a bit of a dolt but at least a well-meaning one.  That he added to the morale of the valley could not be disputed; for many years after the War of the Last Alliance there was a pall over the residents of Imladris.  When Glorfindel decided to relocate and serve under Elrond, there was a palpable excitement in the air.  His cheer was contagious, and it seemed as though _everyone_ fawned over his hair, his beauty, his military prowess, his feats of old.  Erestor tried to resist but he, too, became enamored of the re-born Lord and fell into his bed possibly quicker than any other.  For that, he was bitter and resentful, but over time was able to put those petty feelings aside and embrace Glorfindel for who he was, fickle prick and all.

They sat together in Glorfindel's office, sharing a bottle of wine Glorfindel had pilfered from Elrond's private stash. 

"What are you doing for Valentine's Day?"  Erestor asked.

Glorfindel added another log to the fire.  "Hmm?  What's that?" he replied with sarcasm.

"How can you be a grump about Valentine's?  It's a day that celebrates love, gives us a chance to be romantic."

Glorfindel scrunched up his face.  "You're joking, right?  When is this day, so that I can volunteer for patrol?"

"Uh, tomorrow, you jerk.  And because I knew you would have nothing planned - as you have avoided it for all ten years that you have lived here -  I brought you this to give to Saelbeth."  Erestor reached into his pocket and pulled out a small journal with an elegantly embossed calfskin cover.  "He likes to write poetry; maybe this gift will inspire him to write some for you."

"People _write_ poetry?  For fun? It's bad enough having to read it."

Erestor rolled his eyes.  "Fine, maybe he'll be inspired to keep it to himself,  but either way, he'll like it."

"Alright, I'll think about giving it to him, but if he asks where I got it, I'm going to tell him you made me do it."  He stowed the journal in one of his desk drawers. 

"Elbereth, Glorfindel, do you not have a romantic bone in your body?  What is so awful about someone loving you?  Are you not weary of bed hopping - wait, scratch that last question."

Glorfindel grinned impishly.  "I do love hopping into bed.  But to answer your question, it's not that I'm not romantic, I simply do not wish to lead people on, or make them think that I need more than what they are already giving me."

"Ever the selfless one."  He poured himself another glass of wine.  "Aren't you lonely, though?"

"Not really, I have my friends," Glorfindel said with a raised shoulder. "I think I have perhaps not ever felt that way about anyone.  For a while I thought it was because I was overly occupied with war and death, but even in times of relative peace I cannot be bothered with maintaining what you call a 'relationship'."

"Then there is hope for you still.  You just need to meet the right elf.  Or human.  Or dwarf."

Glorfindel made a face at the mention of 'dwarf', but then raised his brows and conceded, "Could be fun."

"Oh, gods," Erestor snorted with laughter. "You're a right pervert."

"Well what about you?" Glorfindel asked when they had caught their breath. "Do you have any plans for tomorrow?"

"As a matter of fact, I do.  Feren and I are going on a picnic by the Bruinen"  He looked smug.

"Feren?  Oh, one of the visiting soldiers from Eryn Lasgalen.  Picnic at the river, huh?  Where?"

"I'm not telling you, since I have no plans to share him."

"Your loss, I'm great in a three-way."  He peered into the wine bottle, then sighed and set it down.  "Wine's done, let's go get dinner."

\---

Glorfindel did end up giving the journal to Saelbeth and was immediately rewarded with vigorous lovemaking, the kind he had not suspected Saelbeth capable of.  It was so enjoyable he made a mental note to ask Erestor for other gift ideas that might elicit a similar response.  Saelbeth must really, really love writing that poetry.

He stroked the cover of the journal, and asked Glorfindel which merchant he had purchased it from.  Glorfindel let slip that Erestor had actually provided it, which then caused Saelbeth to question why Erestor would do that. 

"I don't know.  He said to give it to you, so I did."

It was an honest answer, but to advisors, honesty was apparently undervalued.  Saelbeth threw the journal at Glorfindel's head, grabbed his clothes and stomped out. 

A few hours later, Glorfindel decided to return the journal to Erestor.  After checking the library, his rooms and his office, Glorfindel figured he was still out picnicking with whatever-his-date's-name-was.  He put the journal in his breastpocket and headed toward the Bruinen. 

He did not have plans to interrupt Erestor's picnic, of course not, but if they were wrapping up then he could just step in and return the journal. Perhaps Erestor's date was also very fond of writing poetry, and _everyone_ should have the opportunity to have some energetic sex.  He would thank him later.

It did not take much to find them, as he knew Erestor's favored spot since he had dragged Glorfindel out there to have lunch now and again.  He peered through some shrubs to see if it would be a good time to say hello.  He saw two figures talking, not eating or drinking, so he started to walk toward them.  At that moment, though, Erestor's date leaned over to kiss Erestor, so Glorfindel turned back to the shrub but accidentally snapped a few twigs.  He froze.

"Who's there?"  Erestor's date demanded, jumping to his feet.

"Sorry, it's only me, I was - " Glorfindel recognized Erestor's glare as one that preceded a brutal tongue lashing, and it made him pause in fear.  "I was making some security rounds, please don't mind me.  You know at dusk, we have to be on the lookout for...wargs.  And...things like that," he said weakly.  He had tried thinking of a better excuse, but had come up empty.

"Oh, Lord Glorfindel, I'm sorry I didn't recognize you."  The elf bowed low.  "We were having a picnic and there is some food left, if you would like to join us."

"Please, it's just Captain, now.  And thank you, but I really should be on my way."  He rotated his head from side to side.  "Yup, it's as I thought, no giant wolves here.  Have a good night!" 

Glorfindel hurried back to the main house, sure that Erestor would have choked him to death if he had lingered any longer.  In retrospect, he should not have gone looking for him, journal or no.

"What, pray tell, were you doing out there?!"  Erestor fumed later that night.  "He was about to kiss me, but then your bumbling ass shows up!  Then he can't shut up about you for the next hour!  What, were you bored?"

"Erestor, I am so, so, sorry.  It really was stupid of me to go looking for you. I mean, I was kind of bored."  Glorfindel held up both his hands in surrender as Erestor's face became thunderous.  "Look, I only wanted to give you this."  He reached down to grab the journal and proffered it to Erestor.

"Oh, did you decide not to give it to him?" 

"No, I did, and let me tell you we had a _great_ time right after.  But then he got mad at me and returned it, so I thought of you.  I thought maybe if you gave this to your picnic-friend-person, _you_ might have a great time, too," he added with a wink.

Erestor sat and put his head in his hands.  Glorfindel was worried but soon Erestor's shoulders shook with laughter.   "What am I going to do with you?  You're impossible to stay mad at.  Fine, give me the journal.  I fully plan on writing all kinds of poetry that you will be forced to read."

\---

To Glorfindel's relief, he did not ruin Erestor's budding relationship.  He and this 'Feren' continued to see each other, and although Glorfindel did find it inconvenient that Erestor spent some of his free time with this new 'boyfriend', he was happy for him.  Actually, Erestor spent a lot of his free time with Feren, and it was irritating along with inconvenient, but friends should always be supportive of each other's relationships.  That's what Ecthelion had told him once, when Glorfindel had complained that he spent too much time with his wife.

He took the saddle off its hook and brought it over to his horse.  He had some time to spare, so he set the saddle aside and grabbed a brush as well, intending to groom her for now and saddle her later. 

"Greetings Lord Glorfindel, oh sorry, I mean Captain."  It was Feren, maybe back from a ride or patrol.  Glorfindel was not sure why he was in the stable, and he frankly did not care, either.

"Well met, Feren."  Glorfindel inclined his head slightly, trying to convey that he did not want to talk.

"Are you going out for a ride?  I could accompany you, if you so desired."  He came over and placed a hand over Glorfindel's. 

Glorfindel raised a brow.  "Actually, I'm about to head out to the border for a couple of weeks, and I'll have plenty of company, thank you."  He shook off the hand and resumed brushing his horse.  "Erestor busy right now?"  
  
At least Feren had the grace to blush when confronted with his duplicity.  "He is always busy.  I find myself rather frustrated, as he seems unwilling to take our relationship to the next level, if you get my meaning.  I'm afraid it has made me act out of character, and I apologize."

Valar, this Feren really thought too highly of himself.  Erestor must see something redeeming in him, but what it was Glorfindel could not even guess.  Feren was a troll.  A type he was familiar with:  ambitious - willing to screw, or screw _over_ , anyone to better his position.  Having gotten nowhere with Erestor, he must have thought to try his luck with Glorfindel.

"Apology accepted."  Glorfindel flashed Feren his most charming and sympathetic smile.  "Erestor is quite busy, I agree, there is not much you can do about that.  As for the 'next level', well, have you tried talking to him about it?"  He looked around, saw they were alone, and put a hand on Feren's shoulder.  "Erestor is my closest friend, and I shouldn't tell you this, but I know he really cares about you, and I can tell you care about him.  He has this really terrible case of _warts_ , down there - " Glorfindel gestured gratuitously at his groin, "- and he is shy about revealing it to new lovers.  Don't worry, they are not always - how should I put it - present, but when they are he doesn't like to...obviously.  So maybe it's that, and nothing personal, ok?"  He patted the shoulder he was holding reassuringly.  "I should go, my soldiers are waiting for me."

"Oh, of course, sorry to keep you.  Uh, have a good week."

What a little turd. 

\---

Glorfindel put him out of his mind and didn't think of Feren again until he had returned from his patrol and was sitting in the bath.  That was a pretty awful rumor he started, he thought as he grimaced.  He was planning to report to Elrond after he was done bathing but maybe he should check on Erestor first...just in case.

Erestor's door was ajar when he made it to his office. Glorfindel stepped in and found Erestor bent over a large stack of what appeared to be correspondences.  He strode to the desk, picked up the letters and set them aside.

"Hey, I was reading those -"

"I don't want them to get dirty or stained.  Look what I found."  He gingerly placed a fabric bundle on the desk and untied it, revealing wild blackberries.  "Your favorite."  He plucked an ant crawling on one of the fruits and flicked it out the window.  "They might be extra crunchy."

Erestor smiled, albeit a bit sadly.  "Thank you, Glorfindel.  I do love them but I'm afraid I have no appetite right now."

_Shit._

"Is anything the matter?  I've never seen you turn down wild blackberries before."

Erestor exhaled.  "Do you mind if we go to your room?  I'll tell you what happened but there are sometimes too many ears in my office." 

"Sure, sure, I'll bring the berries."  He carefully rewrapped the bundle and escorted Erestor back to his room. 

Once inside, he poured Erestor a glass of brandy.  "Here, drink this.  Did something terrible happen while I was away?"

"No, not terrible - I know you won't understand but please promise not to laugh. Feren has ended our relationship.  He said that due to medical reasons, he couldn't continue seeing me.  What does that even mean?"

"No idea," Glorfindel smoothly lied.  He waited for Erestor to pick up on his deceit but Erestor was too upset.  He had drunk his brandy awfully fast.  Glorfindel refilled his glass.

"I hate to do it, but sometimes I really doubt myself.  Am I so unworthy that I cannot hold down a simple relationship?  I even tried taking it slow this time, thinking that if we got to know each other better before we moved on to physical matters it would provide a stronger foundation, but instead I've been celibate for no reason."

"Hey, hey, you are right, you shouldn't doubt yourself."  Glorfindel moved to the sofa next to Erestor and put an arm around him.  "You are a wonderful elf, and if that little brown-nosing dipshit couldn't comprehend that, then that is his problem, not yours.  Better to be rid of him now."  A few tears rolled down Erestor's cheeks.  Glorfindel  
felt horrid - did Erestor really like Feren this much?  He should come clean to them both and maybe they could salvage something.

"He _was_ a brown nosing little dipshit, you're right.  Why do I always fall for the losers?  No offense." 

 _Whew_.  "None taken, ever, from you."  He leaned in to kiss a few tears away.  The feel of Erestor in his arm had dredged up muscle memories; he really should not make a pass but maybe Erestor would accept Glorfindel's form of comfort.  Encountering no resistance to the kisses on his cheeks, he went for his mouth.

It was better than he remembered.  Soft, pliant, delicious.  Erestor opened up and Glorfindel slid his tongue inside and took all that was offered.  He unbuttoned Erestor's robes and started untying his pants, all without losing contact with those lips.  He sat back as he touched Erestor, drawing his hardness out of his breeches, then slipped off the sofa to between Erestor's knees and brought his face over to his groin.

Glorfindel breathed in Erestor's scent.  That Feren was an idiot who did not know what he had passed up.  He kissed the head of his cock reverentially before swallowing it down.  Erestor inhaled and bucked at the same time, and Glorfindel willed his throat to open up to take him in further.  He bobbed his head, fast, then slow, then without any rhythm, in that order over and over until Erestor pulled at his hair.

"Ungh, Glorfindel, _fuck_.  Take off your clothes and get on the bed.  Now!"

They giggled and tripped over to the bed, shedding clothes as quickly as they could.  Glorfindel grabbed a bottle of oil off of his nightstand and tossed it to Erestor before positioning himself on his hands and knees. A drizzle of it was dropped down his cleft and he heard Erestor coating himself, then felt himself being filled.  Erestor kissed his back, his shoulders and Glorfindel spread his knees further, silently asking for him to go deeper.  His last coherent thought, as Erestor began mercilessly thrusting into him, was, ' _Sorry Feren, but to the victor go the spoils.'_


	3. Chapter 3

After coming down from the high of their impromptu coupling, Erestor was filled with regret.  He had promised himself he would not fall into Glorfindel's bed again; it was too fraught with potential heartache.  As Glorfindel had somehow become his closest friend, he had wanted to talk to him about Feren, but then his kindness gave Erestor the wrong signals, and the sex...it was all very confusing. 

Glorfindel kissed his forehead.  "If your eyebrows scrunch down any farther, it's going to start raining near your face.  Out with it, thundercloud, what's bothering you?"

_Leave, Erestor, get out of the bed._

Erestor moved his hand between them.  "This...this was a mistake, I'm sorry I dragged you into my drama."

"It's ok, I don't mind," Glorfindel said quietly.  He snaked his arm across Erestor's midsection and drew him closer.  "It's not anything we haven't done before, right?" he added lightly.

"Hahaha, right..." Erestor had meant to push himself away, but ended up fondling Glorfindel's chest instead. 

_Damn it, unhand him and leave!_

Awkwardly twisting his body in Glorfindel's embrace, he gradually stuck one leg off the side of the bed, followed by the other, and slipped under Glorfindel's arm onto the floor in a rather ungraceful heap.  He then proceeded to crawl to his clothes. 

Glorfindel peered over the edge of the bed.  "What are you doing?"

"I need to get back to work.  Um, thanks for the drink, and the uh, other thing."  He threw on his clothes and started to head out.  "Mind if I take the berries?" 

\---

Busy straightening his robe on the way to his office, Erestor did not notice the figure standing outside his door until he almost ran into him.

"Feren!  I didn't see you there, my apologies."  

Feren stared at his head until Erestor realized how unkempt his hair must be.  He blushed and tried smoothing it out but his braids were partially undone so he started taking it all out.  Wonderful, he was such a pinnacle of professionalism - slightly drunk, hair and clothing a mess. In other words, exactly how one wishes to be when they run into an ex.  He stood taller and schooled his features into disinterest, as though he had not been crying about this person in front of him less than an hour ago.  

He entered his office and sat at his desk, surprised when Feren followed him in.  Part of him was uncomfortable with seeing him in his vulnerable state, and another, less controllable (read: more pathetic) part was delighted.  "Er, what can I do for you?"

"Erestor, I don't like how we left it, so I'm here to ask for another chance."

Looking around the room for clues that he was in an alternate reality and finding none, he said, "Pardon?"

Feren pulled up a chair.  "I've been thinking about it, and I acted too hastily.  You see, I'd had a short conversation with Captain Glorfindel not long ago, and after a small misunderstanding, he revealed to me your...condition."

"My...condition."  Erestor nodded slowly, then tilted his head to the side.  "What sort of misunderstanding?"

"And, after you and I had our talk," Feren barreled on, "I was unhappy, but after speaking to a few people about it, I learned that your illness is, in fact, _curable_.  So, I hope this is not too presumptuous of me, but since Glorfindel mentioned that you were very embarrassed by it, I took the liberty of procuring the treatment for you from Lord Elrond, so it is undoubtedly of the highest quality."

Erestor furrowed his brow and repeated, "From Elrond."

"Yes!  Isn't that wonderful?  We can be together again."  Feren beamed at him.

Erestor held up one hand, to halt Feren's diatribe.  "Ok, forgive me if I'm slow today, but I recently partook of some strong liquor.  You found out from Glorfindel that I have a...disease, which was a deal breaker.  However, you have since discovered its cure, and would like to resume our courtship."

"Yes, and here is the medicine," Feren confirmed, putting a drawstring pouch on the desk.

"Uhhh, thank you."  He pursed his lips into a frown.  "Am I correct in assuming that were my disease _not_  curable, we would not be having this conversation right now?"

"But it _is,_ so we should not dwell on the hypothetical."

"Agreed."  Erestor stood and beckoned Feren to walk with him to the door. "I would love to chat longer, but I do have _so_ much to catch up on, if you would excuse me."

"Oh, of course!  See you later, then."  He leaned in to kiss Erestor, who offered a cheek.

"Right, see you."  Once he shut the door, Erestor sat down at his desk, took out a clean sheet of parchment, and began the paperwork to transfer Feren back to the Greenwood.

\---

  
After completing the transfer documents and a few other correspondences, curiosity got the better of Erestor and he picked up the pouch Feren had left him.  Inside were a jar of salve and a folded note, likely detailing the steps to remediate his newly discovered malady. 

The note was addressed to him, written in Elrond's hand:

_My dear Erestor,  I wish that you had come to me yourself, but given the sensitive nature of your complaint, I understand.  Enclosed is one week's worth of treatment; feel free to submit a note requesting the other half when needed._

_Directions:  When you first notice an outbreak -_

"Outbreak," Erestor read out loud. 

_\- apply generously over entire affected area.  Repeat once a day for 7 days.  At the start of the following outbreak, repeat again for another 7 days.  Further outbreaks have not been documented following two consecutive treatments._

_Warnings: This salve has been known to create a burning sensation where applied for some users.  Should this be your experience, a cool washcloth draped over the genitalia for a few minutes should relieve the burning.  Do not discontinue use unless an oozing rash occurs._

Erestor folded the note and placed both items back into the bag.  Thumbs and forefingers touching, palms upturned, he took several deep, cleansing breaths.  He was not often gripped by indecision, but he wrestled with it now.  Should he go immediately to Elrond and return the salve?  It was probably quite expensive, and he would hate to see it go to waste.  Or, should he instead go to Glorfindel's room and return his fea to Mandos?  Decisions, decisions.

It was often said that poison was the favored weapon of women, but Erestor would not care if anyone considered him feminine.  It would do the job, and with the right kind, hopefully cause intense suffering and much internal bleeding.  After several satisfying minutes of picturing Glorfindel writhing on the floor, foaming pink at the mouth, he set off to find Elrond, who was more versed in plant lore than himself.

Elrond looked up as Erestor entered his office and spied what he held in his hand. 

"Did you need more already?  Your case of warts must really be dire."

Erestor had to close his eyes and count to ten before he could speak.  "Actually, I wish to exchange it for something that _causes_ warts, and swap it out for Glorfindel's soap."

Understanding dawned on Elrond.  "Ah, I see."  He tried valiantly to maintain a deadpan expression, but failed.

"He is a menace, and must be stopped," Erestor hissed as Elrond laughed.

Wiping the tears from his eyes, Elrond asked, "Who?  Feren or Glorfindel?"

"Both.  I've already taken the steps to send Feren back to the giant spiders that spawned him, so it's up to you to take care of Glorfindel!"

"Erestor, Erestor...calm down for a minute.  There is most likely a very good explanation for this.  We both know that Glorfindel does not act without cause"

"I want him banished."

Elrond spread his arms out.  "For what?  Starting rumors?  Do you honestly care if people think you have warts?"

"I don't care about the warts!  I care about him carelessly ruining my life!  He might have good intentions but he _never_ thinks of the consequences.  Acts with cause, but without a brain."  Erestor tapped his temple for emphasis.  "How can you trust him to be in charge of the military?!"

Elrond took the scroll he was working with and set it aside.  "Tell me, why are you sending Feren back to Eryn Lasgalen?"

Erestor opened his mouth, closed it, opened it once again, then declined to respond.

"Ah-hah," said Elrond, in his most annoying, know-it-all voice.  "In a way, perhaps you have unknowingly benefitted from your warts."

"I do NOT have WARTS."

"Glorfindel acts without thinking, you are correct.  Does he make the best decisions?  It's hard to say.  He makes ones that get the short term desired effect, which is what you want in the heat of battle.  Shall I recount the fall of Gondolin for you?"

"No, thank you."

"It was probably not the best idea to challenge a balrog alone, on a cliff - "

"Elrond, don't."

"And it had terrible consequences for himself -"

"Stop."

"Which I doubt he gave much consideration to.  But he did it to give everyone else time to flee -"

"I'm begging you."

"And with that spontaneous, _unthinking_ sacrifice, he saved so many.  Like my father -"

"I thought I told you to stop."

"My grandmother -"

" _Elrond!_ "

" _Your_ grandmother -"

"Oh for fuck's sake, am I not allowed to be mad at him without you laying the greatest guilt trip of all time?"

Elrond shrugged.  "You asked why I put him in charge of the military."

Erestor stormed off.

\---

Elrond chuckled to himself long after Erestor left.  Life was never boring in Imladris.  He would have to talk to Glorfindel, though, as it would not be beneficial to anyone if his top advisors were fighting.  He decided to pay him a visit.

When Glorfindel let him into his room, it was quite clear that he had just woken up.

"Would you like to rest some more?  I do not mean to disturb your sleep."

"No, no, I'm fine."  He yawned a couple of times.  "Come in, have a seat.  I can give you the report on the border if you are ready."

"Oh, just turn that in to my secretary later this week.  I am actually here for a different reason, having just spoken with Erestor."

A look of apprehension stole across Glorfindel's face before he righted it.  "What about?" he asked innocently.

Elrond leaned forward.  "He came to return a jar of genital wart cream I had made up for him."

Glorfindel paled and sat back on the sofa.  "Oh no..."

"Oh, yes.  Now where would Feren get the idea of requesting such an item for Erestor?  Especially since they had separated not two weeks ago?"

Sitting up, Glorfindel began gesticulating animatedly.  "Hear me out.  That little weasel tried to come on to me!  When he told me that he and Erestor had not yet slept together, I saw an opportunity to prevent the relationship from getting any deeper, and I took it.  I know Erestor is not going to see it from my point of view, but Feren is not the right elf for him."

"He came on to you?  How so?"

"He asked to accompany me on a ride, and put his hand on my hand."

"Put his hand on your...hand."  Elrond blinked. "As in, your actual hand, not a euphemism for something else?"

"Yes, my hand!  I know what you are thinking, but the intent was clear.  He is an unapologetic philanderer."

"Thus, you were compelled to manufacture a case of genital warts."

"I could tell he was shallow enough that it would cause him to run.  I know, I know!  It was a stupid thing to say."  He bit his lower lip.  "Did Erestor seem really upset?"

"Mm, you might want to go back out on patrol for a while."

"Shit.  I should not have interfered with their relationship."  He put his hands over his face. 

"Yes, you should try to stop manipulating Erestor's love life. It seems to be becoming a bit of a habit for you, no?

The hands came down, revealing narrowed eyes.  "What are you talking about?  I mind my own business."

"Except for that time you put poor Galadir on border patrol for two years.  You claimed it was oversight but strange that it occurred right after he danced with Erestor all night at the summer festival.  Erestor was looking forward to his return, and was disappointed to learn of Galadir's engagement."

"It was an accident, I swear.  Besides, he loved it out there, and he and Maren are happily married now, with two beautiful children, and that would never have happened if he were not patrolling near that settlement.  He thanked me!"

"Did Erestor thank you, too?"

Glorfindel was indignant.  "I had no idea they were interested in each other.  Obviously it would not have worked out, anyway."

"Obviously.  What about the time Naraion mentioned to you that he was going to ask Erestor to assist him with rearranging the archives?"

He laughed derisively.  "That project took nearly a year.  Can you imagine, the two of them, _alone_ in that dark dusty environment for months on end?  Erestor would have killed him.  As the head of security, I had to mitigate that risk."

"You mean the risk of Erestor spending more time with Naraion than he could with you, and Eru-forbid get along better than colleagues.  Naraion said _you_ threatened to kill him.  It's recorded on the official complaint, in case you want to refresh your memory."

Glorfindel rolled his eyes.  "He misheard.  I did send over several soldiers to assist with the heavy lifting, did I not?"

"Lindir claims that since he confessed to you that he and Erestor were former lovers, you have not spoken to him."

"I'm a soldier, he's a musician, our paths don't often - what exactly are you accusing me of?"

Elrond lowered his voice, and said gently, "I think you know.  And I think you should let Erestor know, too."

Glorfindel looked down, and worried a loose thread on the cushion.  "I doubt he'd believe me.  I had my chance, but he's moved on."

"I don't think it will be easy for you, but what have you to lose?"

Glorfindel was silent.  Elrond felt he had made his point and was about to leave when he heard a barely audible

"Everything."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote three different chapter 3's. I may have to post one other one as a oneshot, related but separate.


	4. Chapter 4

Glorfindel considered taking Elrond's advice of giving Erestor a chance to cool off. Erestor was fundamentally a kind, understanding being and would not be able to stay mad at him forever, yet the thought of going back out on another patrol was not only exhausting, but cowardly as well.  Glorfindel was many things, but a coward he was not.

That's not to say he went directly to Erestor after Elrond left, either.  He inspected the barracks, checked on his soldiers in the training yards, and ate supper with Celebrian and the twins.  He eschewed any social gatherings for the evening, electing instead to stay in his room and polish his weapons.  Once all of his metal objects gleamed, he turned his attention to the shelves, where he could have sworn he saw some dust.  He found a feather duster in a hall closet and put it to good use, making sure to hit every nook and cranny.  There were all sorts of cleaning implements in the hall closet where the duster had come from, so he took the opportunity to sweep and mop his floors as well.  It all took less time than he had hoped - the chambermaids did come almost daily - so with nothing else to clean, Glorfindel slammed back two fingers of whiskey, squared his shoulders and headed to Erestor's chambers.

\---

Erestor opened his door, saw who had knocked, and went to shut it again. 

"Erestor, wait!"  Glorfindel put his foot in the doorway to prevent the door from closing.  "Can we talk?  Will you let me explain?"

Erestor first tried dislodging Glorfindel's foot with his own, then used his whole body in an attempt to shove the other fully back into the hallway, but Glorfindel was freakishly strong.  Several minutes of struggle ensued until Erestor, breathing hard, opened the door wider in defeat and moved out of the way so that Glorfindel could enter.

"Thank you.  Look, this won't take long, I promise.  I'm really sorry -"

Erestor cut him off.  "No, sit down and listen.  I get to talk first this time, because whenever you talk, I end up forgiving you and nothing changes."

Conceding, Glorfindel nodded warily and seated himself in the nearest chair.  Erestor sat opposite him and smoothed out his hair, which was tangled from his futile tussle at the door.  He looked down at clothes and sighed.  Today was just not a good day, appearance-wise.  It was difficult to be intimidating in flannel pajamas.  Nonetheless, he had a lot on his mind.

"I have realized something.  An epiphany, if you will.  Earlier today, I was feeling so good about our friendship - I was happy to see you, you made me feel better about Feren, you even brought me blackberries!  _What a great friend,_  I thought as I walked back to my office.  _I'm so lucky._ " 

Glorfindel smiled weakly as Erestor stood and began pacing, one hand now agitatingly combing his hair.  "Imagine my surprise and dismay, then, when Feren showed up and let me know the reason he dumped me was that _you_ , Glorfindel - honorable captain of Imladris, and my supposed _great_ _friend_ \- you had informed him I had warts.  On my _penis_."

Erestor paused, both to let the words sink in for Glorfindel, who had gone a shade of grayish-white, and to tamp down the hysterical anger that threatened to overtake him.

"Now what could possibly cause those words to come out of your mouth?  Hmmm.....well, the easiest explanation would be that you believed it to be true.  I had to to rule that out though, because you certainly displayed no hesitation in wrapping your lips around my purportedly herpetic cock this afternoon.  So then, I am forced to conclude your motivation to be sabotage.  For some reason you think I'm not good enough for Feren, or maybe you think he's not good enough for me.  Either way, you think we're not good together, so you end it, in classic Glorfindel style, probably congratulating yourself all the while, thinking that I'm better off without him.  Did I miss anything?"

Glorfindel shrunk further into his chair and shook his head.  He was eerily on point.  Erestor towered over him, punctuating his words with an occasional finger jab to Glorfindel's chest.

"I know how you think, Glorfindel, but I want you to understand.  It's not _your_ decision, it's mine!  If you don't like who I'm seeing, I don't give a shit!  You have no right to interfere.  At all.  You were completely out of line.  And then you compound it by lying! For what?  To have _sex_ with me?"  He threw his hands up in exasperation and turned away from Glorfindel.

"Here is the crux of it - I'm not like you.  You shed lovers like trees shed leaves in the fall.  It doesn't affect you.  But it affects me.  I don't enter relationships lightly, just for fun. I don't want friends in one category and lovers in another.  I want the whole package.  I want to love someone, and I want that someone to love me back, the same boring someone forever and ever."

Exhaling, Erestor sat back down in his chair. "I've gone off on a tangent, my apologies.  What I meant to say, circling back to my point in the beginning, is that I realized what we do...your intentions may be good, but..." Erestor remembered the way he felt, lying naked next to Glorfindel, being held in those arms. "But you hurt me without meaning to, and I can't keep doing that to myself."

Glorfindel cleared his throat.  "I understand, and I -.  I mean -.  I'm sorry, about the rumor.  You're right, I was completely out of line.  I told Feren that you had warts because I wanted him to break up with you.  The thought of him sleeping with you, well...I couldn't stomach it.  Jealousy got the better of me, I'm sorry."  He looked at Erestor for a minute before wiping the sweat off his palms onto his legs and standing.  "Uh, I guess I'll go, then."

Erestor twitched, then rose as well.  Glorfindel's choice of words had confused him - jealousy?  A spark of hope flashed before he could stamp it out.   _Not again._  This feeling, essentially, was what made it difficult to be Glorfindel's ‘friend’.  Deep down inside, Erestor was always looking for more, reading into words, holding his hand out for scraps.  Indignation had dissipated, leaving only a heart heavy with sadness and regret.  It was for the best, he repeated in his head, it was for the best.  He had to protect himself.

Right? 

They walked to his door.  Glorfindel stopped just in front of it and took Erestor's hand.

"Um, I never meant to hurt you, and I hate that I did so, even unknowingly.  My instinct is always to protect you, to give you comfort in what way I can."  He took two deep, shaky breaths.  "I've always thought I never wanted the things that other people talked about - family, relationships and such, but I'm not sure anymore.  What I do know is that you have always had the power to make my day beautiful and bright or dark and terrible.  It scares me and thrills me at the same time, and I can't deny it any longer.  I love you.  As in, I'm in love with you, and probably have been since I first set foot in this valley.  With or without your friendship, I'll continue loving you, because that's how it is."

There, it was done.  Glorfindel held his breath, waiting for Erestor's reaction.  Erestor stared, expressionless, for what felt like an age.  Abruptly, he pulled his hand out of Glorfindel's and walked toward his bed.

"What are you doing?  I just confessed my undying love for you."  Glorfindel's voice had a note of pleading in it.  "Will you at least say goodbye?"

"I'm dreaming.  It's the only logical explanation.  This entire day has been absurd.  If I fall asleep in this dream, then I will wake up in real life.  Goodnight."  He laid down, adjusted his pillow under his head, and blinked a few times.

Glorfindel followed Erestor to the bed.  He leaned over and flicked his brow.

"OW!  What the fuck did you do that for?"  Erestor sat up, rubbing his forehead.  "That hurt!"

"Sorry!  It was to show you that you weren't dreaming.  Normally people pinch in these situations, but I thought pinching would be too painful."  Erestor glared at him, but Glorfindel continued, with a hint of a smirk.  "Do you often dream of this, me saying that I love you?"

"Are you making a joke?  Is this funny to you?  Valar help me, you are really something.  How. Dare. You.  How DARE you come into my room, and say those words to me?!"  Glorfindel hurriedly scooted out of striking range when Erestor took a swing at him.  "You insensitive, inconsiderate buffoon!  It's as though I'm being punished for - no, no, we end this now."  Erestor jumped off, stomped to a chest at the end of the bed and rummaged through it, coming up with two swords.  He tossed one to Glorfindel, who caught it handily but was looking more bewildered by the second.

"Uhh, what..."

"This is a murder.  I'm going to kill you, but in order not to be locked up in the dungeons, it has to look like self defense."

"Whoa!  I'm sorry that I upset you, really I am.  Please put down your weapon.  Look - I am putting down this one."  Glorfindel held up one hand while squatting low to place his sword on the ground.  He knelt, and raised his other hand in surrender. 

"Get up!"  Erestor held his sword in both hands and pointed it at Glorfindel.  "Ten years I have been _afflicted_ with you and your mixed messages, your well meaning  _idiocy_.  It's torture, watching you hop from lover to lover, seeing how little they mean to you yet dreading the day one means more..."  Unwelcome tears fell as he revealed his own secret fear.  Deflated and ashamed, he dropped his blade and sat on his bed, looking utterly defeated.

Glorfindel shuffled forward on his knees until he was in front of Erestor.  He took the sword and tossed it a good distance away, then clasped his hands together in front of his torso.  "Erestor, I know I am far from ideal, but I beg you, if you have any feelings at all for me, give me another chance.  I was foolish to let you go all those years ago, and too stupid to understand what I felt.  I want what you want, I do, I swear.  I want you to be my friend, my lover, all of it.  And, if it doesn't work out in the end..."  He placed his chin on Erestor's leg and looked up at him with wide eyes.  Batting his lashes, he added, "...you will still have the option of killing me."  

Erestor chuckled against his will.   Every time, no matter how angry he became, Glorfindel managed to make him laugh.  It was unfair - his charm combined with those words and those _eyes -_  Glorfindel knew how to pull his strings.  He brushed a few locks of blond hair off of Glorfindel's face.  "You win.  I give up.  I've never been able to stay mad at you.  Infuriating, yet somehow..." 

Glorfindel kept his head on Erestor's lap while Erestor ran his fingers through his hair, both of them content to enjoy the moment.  Finally, Erestor untangled his fingers and patted Glorfindel's head.

"But...we shouldn't rush into anything.  Let's start with being friends again, except you do everything in your power to woo me, ok?"

"Major romance?"

"Major.  Roses, poems, chocolate, everything."

Glorfindel scowled.  "Poems?"


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Doing some edits a year later, lol. I think this story works best at three chapters, but here is the original super sappy ending.

Glorfindel stood and held out his hand. "Will you come to my room? I want to show you something."

  
"Um, I've already seen it before - today, in fact - and I thought we agreed to take it slow."

  
"Ok pervert, I'm not talking about that. It's something else - I'm a little embarrassed by it, but since I'm confessing everything, you should know about this, too. Come on, before I lose my nerve."

  
"Well, now I'm curious and slightly frightened."

  
They walked down the hall holding hands. Every third step, Glorfindel would look down at their entwined fingers, then up at Erestor, who would smile at him with uncharacteristic shyness. Twice Glorfindel tried to steal a kiss, but was rebuffed by a stern glance and a raised eyebrow.

  
When they entered his room, Glorfindel led Erestor to his wardrobe. He opened both doors to reveal hanging clothes on one side and a set of drawers with folded clothing on top. Erestor saw something familiar.

  
"Wait, is this my robe? Why do you have it? I though you said the color reminded you of horse shit. Is this what you wanted to show me?" Erestor fingered the hole where Glorfindel had 'accidentally' stabbed him. "You didn't even have it repaired. Or cleaned, there is still blood on it."

  
"Oh, you weren't supposed to see that." Glorfindel took the robe out of Erestor's hands and stuffed it behind the other hanging items. "The color is awful, I stand by that statement. I used those to get measurements for a new robe, remember?"

  
"I still can't believe you stabbed me."  
"It was not a 'stab'; it was a light poke. Can I help it if you bleed easily? Damn it Erestor, forget the robes. I wanted to show you this." Glorfindel took out a key and unlocked one of the drawers and opened it.

  
Erestor looked inside. Stacked neatly were several boxes of different sizes. Opening one, he saw a leather and onyx bracelet.

  
"I saw that at a market in Bree, and it reminded me of you, but I wasn't sure if you would wear it."

  
Another box had a long, delicate chain of gold dotted with freshwater pearls.

  
"Mithlond. The merchant said it was hair decoration, and would look best in black hair."

  
A third box contained a feather quill leafed in silver. Turning it gently in his fingers, Erestor noticed tiny green gemstones caught the light.

  
"This is exquisite," Erestor breathed.

  
"I found the feather and had it embellished. It was supposed to be a begetting day gift, I suppose."

  
Erestor opened box after box. "Glorfindel, you have a small fortune in goods here. What are all these?"

  
"Oh...things that I have gotten for you, over the years. I never did give them to you because, um, they seemed inappropriate. Overly lavish, or something like that." Glorfindel's face was bright red.

  
"So you chose to hoard them here, in a locked drawer, with my bloodied robes."

  
Glorfindel closed his eyes. "I know, it's super creepy, I get it."

  
Erestor shrugged. "Well, at least you know. Do you have a bag? I'm going to need some help getting these back to my room." He started stacking up the boxes in his arms.

  
"Wait, there is one other one, which is really why I brought you here." He hesitated, then reached into the drawer to unhinge the false back and drew out one last, small box.

  
"Glorfindel, if that contains something like my fingernail clippings then we are going to have to end this now. I have to draw the line somewhere."

  
Glorfindel shot him a pained look. "I usually ingest those if I'm lucky enough to come across any, so don't worry," he said sarcastically. "I'm baring my soul to you here, could you not be so flippant about it?"

  
"Alright, alright, sorry! Sorry." Erestor schooled his face into seriousness.

  
Opening the box, Glorfindel pulled out two bands of sapphires set in mithril. "I got these three years ago, they're made by the dwarves of the Iron Hills. I wasn't looking for anything in particular, just wandering through the market, but it was like they called to me. They were so beautiful, I bought two - one in my size, and one in yours."

  
Erestor's heartbeat grew fast and loud. Did Glorfindel realize the significance of what he was holding? "Glorfindel, those are wedding rings."

  
"I know." He placed them in his palm and examined them. "I can't explain it, but when I saw these rings, I thought of us, and I had to have them. I've hidden them because, surely, buying wedding rings when one is not in a relationship is a sign of insanity." Glorfindel held one out to Erestor. "Take this, it's yours. Maybe you won't wear it today, or tomorrow, or even next year, but I hope that you do put it on one day, and that you'll let me wear mine, too."

  
Erestor took the ring with a trembling hand. Swallowing hard, he whispered, "You're fucking crazy. Forty minutes ago I tried to kill you, and now you are asking me to marry you."

  
"What can I say? I love you."

  
Shaking his head in disbelief, Erestor slipped the ring on his finger. "I love you, too, Glorfindel. Today has been one of the strangest days in my life. I look forward to many more."


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Er, I couldn't leave well enough alone. There is no substance to this chapter, just...none. On the other hand, it's very short, so, enjoy?

Approximately 23 minutes later:

Glorfindel fidgeted under the covers.  His heart was beating at twice its normal rate, and he doubted it would slow, resigning himself to a sleepless night.  He had hoped to pass the night differently, but Erestor had agreed to stay on the condition that they would only be sleeping, emphasizing their need for a good night's rest after an emotional day.  Glorfindel, happy to be in Erestor's good graces again and estatic that they were wearing _the rings_ , promised to keep his hands to himself. They had shared many sweet, (unfortunately!) chaste kisses until Erestor pushed Glorfindel to the far side of the bed, wagged a finger at him, and laid down to sleep.

Glorfindel propped himself up on his side to look at Erestor, who by all appearances was already asleep.  His breathing was even and deep and his eyes were glassy.  Glorfindel smiled to himself, replaying the entire evening in his head while he watched Erestor.  Softly chuckling, he remembered Erestor's irate countenance when he was waving that sword around.  What did he think he could do?  Glorfindel had seen Erestor fight, and though he would not say he was _un_ _skilled,_ it was certainly his proximity to Elrond - whose fighting abilities were legendary - in the Last Alliance that had kept Erestor alive.  Although shocked at the level of Erestor's anger, Glorfindel would be lying if he denied that the image of Erestor holding that blade was an incredible turn-on.  His body immediately responded and he stroked himself absently through his sleeping pants.  Maybe he could get Erestor to re-enact that part of the fight some time in the near future. 

He shifted again, easing himself back down on the mattress, still on his side, wondering if Erestor was deep enough in dreams to not be disturbed by his bedfellow's masturbation.  Moving slowly, trying to be silent, Glorfindel inched into his pants and froze, cock in hand, when Erestor turned his head and frowned at him.

"Would you please cease all this tossing and turning?  I have half a mind to go back to my own room."

Glorfindel nodded mutely, eyes wide.  Erestor raised an eyebrow, but said nothing further.  He readjusted his pillow and shortly thereafter his breathing took on the even deepness of before.  Glorfindel exhaled in relief, deciding that it was safe to continue.  Squeezing gently, he tugged at himself while committing the outline of Erestor's profile to memory.  He loved the way his nostrils moved ever so slightly with each breath, and how smoothly his full lashes glided over his eyes when he blinked.  But Erestor's mouth was the true treasure: its utterances could bring such agony but those lips...strategically placed...could bring such ecstasy.  Glorfindel's wrist jerked a little faster at the thought. 

Quite suddenly, Glorfindel hands were pinned beside his head as Erestor rolled him on his back and straddled him.  "Naughty, naughty, Glorfindel.  What is it going to take to get some sleep around here, hmm?"  Erestor ground his hips on Glorfindel's hardness, ripping a surprised grunt out of him.  _Unpredictable little bastard._

Grinning, Glorfindel broke free of Erestor's grasp and grabbed his shirt, pulling Erestor down to kiss him as unchastely as possible.  Moaning at the contact, their mouths mashed together, slicking their lips with spit.  Erestor's tongue pressed into Glorfindel's mouth, tracing random patterns over his teeth, his gums and tongue before withdrawing, enticing him to reciprocate.   

As they kissed, Erestor began rutting his hips in earnest into Glorfindel's abdomen, a hardening cock stoking Glorfindel into a state of frenzy.  His own cock was twitching and wet at the tip, and he deepened his kisses until Erestor shoved his chin away and gasped, "Wait here, don't move. Oil."

Erestor ran to the washroom to fetch the oil while Glorfindel shucked off his pants, then lay back down to watch Erestor take off his clothes as well.  Erestor tipped the bottle into his palm, then slathered Glorfindel's entire groin with the slippery substance.  His hands traced a maddening circle from thigh to belly to thigh, before massaging his ball sack and winding up his erection.  Glorfindel pushed into the hand just as it loosened its hold.

"Valar, Erestor, get on with it!"

The only response he received was an amused, "Patience."  Erestor swung a leg over Glorfindel's midsection, sat and dragged his ass down, briefly sandwiching a pulsing cock before settling himself mid thigh, much to Glorfindel's frustration.  He was not sour for long, though, as Erestor soon leaned down, chest to chest, to resume kissing, bringing their cocks together in oily bliss.  Knees drawn up, Glorfindel dug his heels into the bed and bucked upwards, chasing the friction he desperately needed.  Erestor toyed with him though, lifting at just the right moments to prevent any true contact, only a whisper of pleasure as their erections brushed one another.

"Please, Erestor, stop teasing.  I need it."

Erestor laughed.  "You cannot need it that badly.  You just had some this afternoon."

"I will always need more...from you...please, I'll do anything," Glorfindel said, voice reduced to a whimper.

"Hmmm...anything?  I'm going to hold you to that, you know."

Erestor poured more oil into his hand, coating his fingers this time, causing Glorfindel's mouth to water in anticipation, then bent down to take a nipple into his mouth.  Rolling his tongue around the nub, he sucked and pulled at it with his teeth while Glorfindel made unintelligible guttural sounds.

"Alright, hold still now," Erestor grunted as he lowered himself onto Glorfindel's cock. 

Muscles tense and shaking with effort to still himself, Glorfindel watched as his erection disappeared into Erestor's tight ass.  Once Erestor was fully seated, Glorfindel coaxed him down to kiss again, one hand sweeping over his back and thighs in large strokes while the other held him close.  He thrusted, beginning with tiny movements, building up to fucking Erestor so hard he was bouncing his own ass off the mattress, Erestor's nails scrabbling for purchase on the sheets, tearing them.  He didn't last long, and soon his orgasm shot through his body, tingling his scalp and curling his toes.  Lungs heaving, he watched as   Erestor sat up and brought himself to release, milking the remainder of Glorfindel's cock with his climactic spasms.

After a few minutes, Erestor slipped off and flopped back down onto the bed.  Glorfindel rolled over and tucked him under his arm.

"Oof, get off, your arm is too heavy.  And sweaty."

Ignoring the request, Glorfindel instead pulled him closer.  Erestor gave up on the struggle and snuggled close with an exasperated sigh.  Glorfindel kissed his forehead one last time, smiled and thought to himself as he fell asleep that yes, this was perfect.  This he could live with for the rest of his life. 


End file.
